Lubricating device for internal-combustion engines



Mar. 6, 1923.

C. B. KIRKHAVI.

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

ORIGINAL FILED JAN- 9, I918.

INVENTOR. CHARLIE) DMRK HAM.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. O, 1923.

UNHTE TA ES area are.

CHARLES B. KIRKHANI, OF GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CURTISS AERO- PLANE AND MOTOR CORPORATION, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Original-application filed January 9, 1918, Serial No. 211,074. Divided and this application filed September 18, 1918.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, CHARLES B. KIRKHAM,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Garden, City, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Devices for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division .of my application Serial No. 211,074, filed January 9th, 1918, internal combustion engines. The remainder of the specification is identical with the specification of the original case.

The invention relates tointernal combustion engines, and the object of it is a motor embodying certain novel features which ren der it especially adapted to driving aircraft, although certain features thereof are applicable to internal combustion engines generally.

The improvements of the above noted application include improvements in the structure and correlation of the motor parts and motor accessories. The improvements in the present case relate more particularly to the lubricating features of this motor which result in advantages of construction and arrangement of the lubricating elements 80 whereby the lubricating system as a whole is greatly simplified and a more effective lubrication of all the moving motor parts is obtained than has hitherto been possible.

For a better understanding of the "above 85 noted advantages and novel features of my invention and of others which will hereinafter appear, reference may be had to the drawings accompanying this application, of which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view thru the center line of the motor,

'Fig. 2 is a part sectional and part elevational enlarged detailed view 'of the end bearing of the cam shaft,

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, and

valve for the crank case.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, the

to main body or supporting part of the motor comprises the upper half 1 of the crank case, the lower half being designated by the numeral 2. As usual, the crank case is split in Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the intake Serial No. 254,622.

a horizontal plane passing thru the crank shaft 3, and the lower half 2 of the case is secured in the usual manner to the upper half 1 by means of bolts 4. The upper half 1, as is usual in the 'V type motor, is in the form of an inverted V and the cylinders 5 may be'anchored in position in any suitable manner and are further secured and reenforced by the elongated bolts 7 which passes from the crankcase upwardly along the out side of the cylinders and engage brackets or bridges 8 resting on top of the cylinders, these brackets as illustrated comprising arms radiating out from a central body wherebyeach cylinder is. reenforced by four bolts passing thru the respective arms.

I The'crank shaft 3 is journalled in bearing supports 25, formed integral with the upper half of the crank case, these supports preferably being in the form of webs passing transversely across the upper half of the crank case. The supports 25 also carry the bearings for the camshaft 26, which is mounted parallel to the crank shaft and is positioned at, the top of the crank case 1. The oam shaft bearings 26 are removable from the supports 25 and are anchored in position by means of set screws 27 passing thru bosses formed in the apex at the V of the crank case and engaging the respective bearings.

An oil slinger is disposed adjacent the end plate 29, and is carriedby the gear collar 70. A similar oil slinger 71 is provided on the right hand end of the crank shaft within the bearing housing, and by means of these slingers the creeping of oil thru the openings in the endplates is greatly re duced.

For a more detailed description of the construction and operation of the motor as a whole reference may be had to the above noted application.

Lubrication.

The lower half of the crank case has ex tending inwardly at the ends thereof the flanges 90, and upon these flanges rests a drip pan 91, the sides of this pan being inclined downwardly as indicated, and having an opening 92 for emptying the oil which has been collected from the moving parts of the motor downwardly into the reservoir 1,447 was formed in the bottom of the crank case. The bottom walls of the crank case, indicated as 93, are inclined downwardly, and at the lowest point, which is substantially at the center of the machine, the crank case is provided with an opening defined by the downwardly extending annular flange. 9%. A screen 95 is adapted to be inserted upwardly thru this opening and positioned within the reservoir for straining the used lubricant before it is used" again. This screen is carried by a supporting structure 96, which is adapted to be fitted on and clamped to the flange 94 by means of suitable clamping bolts, one of which is indicated at 97. This support 96 has extending outwardly beyond the flange 94; a. portion of boss 98, having an opening therein in register with the chamber 99 formed in an enlargement on the bottom of the crank case. An exit pipe or connection-100 leads from this chamber 99 to a. lubricant circulating pump of the gear type 101. draws the lubricant from the interior of the reservoir thru the screen 95 out thru the chamber 99 and from thence thru the connections 100 to the pump inlet, and from thence the lubricant is forced upwardly thru a connecting or supply pipe 102, the inlet to and outlet from the pump not being shown for convenience in illustration. The cam shaft 26 is formed hollow to serve as a lubricant distributing conduit and has openings 103 at right angles thereto at each one of the removable bearings 26. Each one of the bearings is formed with an annular groove on its interior for the reception of the lubricant passing out the openings 103 and from these annular grooves there are provided openings 104 in the lower parts of the bearings, which communicate with the vertical openings 105 provided in the supports 25 and leading downwardly to the crank shaft. The crank shaft is also hollow, as indicated in the drawings, and at the crank shaft bearings has radial holes 106 for receiving the oil passing downwardly thru the passages 105 in the supports 25. The removable right hand end bearing 10? of the cam shaft is adapted to be inserted within an opening provided in the end support 25, the opening corresponding in shape thereto, and this bearing is closed at its outer end and has a chamber 108 in which the end of the cam shaft 26 terminates. This bearing also has a longitudinal inlet passage 109, leading outwardly from the chamber 108 to a point adjacent the outer end of the bearing and communicating with. this passage is a transverse passage leading to intake 102, which leads upwardly from the pump 101. This bearing 10'? is also bored on its outer end inwardly to the chamber 108 for the reception of a. pressure control valve 110. The main body of this valve is held in po- This pump sition by means of the externally threaded screw plug 111, and the valve is provided with a conical shaped valve 112, which seats in a correspondingly shaped seat in the inner end of the passage (Fig-f2), the spring 1.13 surrounding the valve stem and being interposed between the valve 110 and a shoulder provided around the main body 110 of the valve. The valve 107 is also provided with the transverse passage 114:, leading from the valve passage downwardly to a passage 115 provided in the end bearing support 25 and leading back to the reservoir therethru. There is also provided a transverse passage on the upper part of the. hearing, which leads from the chamber 108 to a plug connection 116 to which suitable indicating instruments may be attached for indicating the oil pressure or the flow of oil thru the lubricating circuit. The bearing 107 as a whole is provided with an integral peripheral flange surrounding the. opening thru the support 25, and the flange is secured in. position by screw bolts 117, which pass through this flange and enter threaded apertures around the opening. The pump 101 is driven by a vertical shaft 118, which, as indicated, is provided with a bevelled gear on its upper end for engagement with a similar gear on the crank shaft. When the engine is running the pump 101 is continuously driven and thereby draws the lubricant from the reservoir thru the feltering screen 95 downwardly thru the screen struc ture and outwardly thru the passage 99 and, connection 100 leading to the pump. From the pump the oil is forced upwardly thru the connecting pipe 102 thru the passage 109 in the bearing 107 and from there to the chamber 108 which is in communication. with thelub'ricating passage 105 provided in the supports 25, thru the hollow cam shaft as heretofore set forth. All the. cam shaft bearings and the crank shaft bearings are therefore constantly supplied by forced lubrication with a generous supply of lubricant, while the connecting rods and connecting rod bearingsare lubricated thru the crank shaft throws. The pressure control valve 110 serves to effectively regulate the pressure of the forced lubrication by shunting a portion of the lubricant thru a by-pass 114115 if the pressure becomes too high or high enough to overcome the tension of the spring 113. This pressure valve is capalble of adjustment by screwing in and out the screw plug 111.

The crank case is also provided with a novel breather and intake valve which is shown in detail in Fig. 4. This comprises an upwardly extending oil inlet 120 having at its upper end a slightly flaring month 121. The inlet has suitable flanges or ears formed around the periphery of its lower end for the reception of securing bolts 122, whereby of the crank case.

mam/ea this bail springs over the top of the cover 103 and snaps into a suitable notch or groove 125, provided therein. There is also provided a filtering screen 126 across the inlet, which is fixed and clamped between the lower end of the intake and the crank case.

Suitable baffles 127 arealso provided which extend inwardly on the walls of the intake at difi'erent points along its length, these baffies overlapping each other as indicated, and one of them, namely, the upper, being provided with an aperture 128. These baifles serve to prevent the flowing therepast of foreign matter of large dimensions and also,

prevent to a certain extent the splashing of the oil therepast in outward directions during the rough usage to which an aeroplane motor is subjected. The lid 123 may be imperforate if the device is used only as an intake, while if it is used 'as a breather valve, this lid would be perforated or provided with a filtering screen as indicated'at 130. The diagrammatic illustration is intended to cover both.

In accordance with the requirements of the Patent Statutes I have set forth my invention in the specific manner required thereby, but it is understood that the claims hereto annexed are not to be limited to the specific device illustrated, except as is specifically recited therein, or is rendered necessary bv a consideration of the prior art. 7

What is claimed is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, in combination, a crank case, a crank shaft, and a cam shaft journalled within said crank case, said cam shaft being journalled in bearings one of Which is removable and carried by saidcrank case, said shafts having lubricant distributing conduits therein, an oil reservoir in the bottom of said crank case for receiving the lubricant draining down from the moving parts of the motor and means for forcibly supplying the lubricant from said reservoir to said removable bearing, said removable bearing having a receiving chamber in communication with said distributing conduits, a by-pass from said chamber to said reservoir and a spring controlled valve therein for COIltI'OlliIlg said bypass.

2. In an internal combustion engine,'in combination, a crank case, a crankshaft, and a cam shaft journalled i'n removable bearings carried by said crank case, said shafts having lubricant distributing conduits there- 'in, an oil reservoir in the bottom of said crank case for receiving the lubricant draining down from the moving parts of the motor, means for forcibly supplying the lubricant from said reservoir to one of said removable bearings, said last named bearing having a receiving chamber'in communication with said distributing conduits, a bypass from said chamber to said reservoir and a spring controlled valve therein for controlling said by-pass.

3. In an internal combustion engine, in combination, a crank case, cam and crank shafts within said crank case and having ducts for-distributing the lubricant to the moving parts of the motor, said cam shaft being journalled in bearings, one of which is removably mounted, said removable bearing having a chamber therein in communication With said ducts and also having a pressure controlled by-pass, a reservoir in the bottom of said crank case for collecting the lubricant draining down from the moving parts of the motor, a screen in the bottom of said reservoir and means for forcibly straining the lubricant thru said screen and delivering the same to the chamber in said removable bearing.

at. In an internal combustion engine, in combination, a crank case, cam and crank shafts within said crank case and having ducts for distributing the lubricant to the moving parts of the motor, said camshaft being journalled in removable bearings, one of said bearings having a chamber therein in communication with said ducts and also having a pressure controlled by-pass, a reservoir in the bottom of saidcrank case for collecting the lubricant draining down from the moving parts of the motor, a drain pan disposed between the moving parts and said reservoir for collecting and directing the lubricant downwardly to said reservoir, a screen in the bottom of said reservoir, and means for forcibly straining the lubricant thru said screen and delivering the same to the chamber in said removable bearing.

5. In an internal combustion engine, in combination, a crank case, crank and cam shafts within said crank case and carried by supports formed integrally with said crank case, said cam shaft being journalled in bearings one of which is removable, said cam shaft and bearings having lubricant distributing passages therein for delivering lubricant to passages within said supports leading to said crank shaft, a reservoir in the bottom of said crankcase for"'' collecting the used lubricant from the moving parts of said motor, said reservoir having a removable screen structure insertable within an opening on the bottom thereof, a communicating duct between said screen structure and a chamber formed in said removable bearing, said removable bearing having ,a by-pass from said chamber to said reserthru said communicating duct, and a pressure controlled valve carried by said removable bearing for controlling said bypass.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a lubricating system comprising a crank case having a reservoir in the bottom thereof for collecting the lubricant draining downwardly from the InOVing parts of themotor,

With said conduit and a by-pass from said chamber leading back to said reservoir, said bearing also having a pressure controlled valve for controlling said by-pass, means for forcibly Withdrawing the lubricant from the bottom of said reservoir and delivering same directly t the chamber in said bearing, and a filtering screen enclosed in the reservoir for screening the oil before its delivery to the chamber of said bearing.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES B. KIRKHAM. 

